A number of different connecting devices are presently used in the communications industry to splice together conductors of cables. In some instances, these connectors may take the form of a simple device for connecting one conductor to another conductor. See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,019,250 issued Apr. 26, 1977 in the names of H. C. Bassett et al.
As the number of conductors to be spliced together in any one application increases, the industry has resorted to multiple contact, connectors such as that shown for example in U.S. Pat. No. 3,858,158, which issued Dec. 31, 1974 in the names of Henn et al. It has been estimated that over one billion pair splices are made each year by the telephone industry and a majority of these are made with multiple contact connectors.
The multiple contact connector disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,858,158 is commonly referred to as a stackable connector and includes an index strip and a connector module. The connector module includes a plurality of metallic contact elements each having oppositely disposed conductor-receiving slots. In use, an installer positions an index strip in an assembly tool and insulated conductors from a first group transversely of the index strip in a plurality of conductor-receiving grooves. The conductors are seated in the grooves after which a connector module is positioned above the index strip and secured thereto which causes the conductors to be moved into conductor-receiving slots of the contact elements which extend below the module. Conductors of a second group which are to be spliced to those of the first group are inserted into conductor-receiving grooves of the connector module and the tool is operated to seat those conductors in upper conductor-receiving slots of the contact elements.
It should be apparent that tools which are used to assemble multiple contact, stackable connectors must be capable of imparting sufficient forces to elements of the connector to secure them together. Further, such tools must have the capability of seating conductors within plastic and metallic portions of the connector and of severing excess lengths of the conductors. An uncomplicated tool should include a means which may be actuated in consecutive steps to impart forces while compensating for their application at varying heights of the stackable assembly so that excessive forces are not applied with resulting damage to the connector.
A tool for assembling multiple contact connectors and conductors of cables such as for example, that disclosed in previously mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,858,158, is available commercially, but is built to be operated by compressed air or hydraulic systems. However, since a power-operated tool requires excessive support equipment and is cumbersome, its use in manholes and on telephone poles is awkward.
A hand-operated tool for assembling multiple contact stackable connectors is shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,972,101. In the patented tool, a support for elements of a connector is selectively positioned with respect to arrays of spaced teeth for holding insulated conductors positioned relative to the elements which are secured together. A conductor-insertion head is then mounted on the tool and is operated to seat the conductors in the connector elements held in the support. The selective positioning of the support at different stages in the assembly of the stackable connector is installer-controlled and the tool head must be mounted on and dismounted from the tool several times during a splicing operation.
It would appear that the prior art does not include a hand-operated tool for assembling stackable connector elements and conductors wherein the tool is automatically positioned for the effective application of assembling forces notwithstanding varying increments of height at which it must be operated. Such a tool would overcome the possibility of an installer-controlled, selective height device being mispositioned which could cause excessive forces to be applied and result in a cracked connector element.